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road rage, sort of


iandouglas
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i know that cars pulling out in front is a common thing

i find it quite infuriating when it is evidently pushing in

it's rude, saying that 'i'm bigger and more important'

anyway, the reason i'm writing this is because that it

seems to be getting to be a regular event - mostly it

around 4pm as people begin to leave for home;

before that, during the day it is less of an issue.

my own theory is that people in work are increasingly

more stressed, impartient, prepared to take short cuts

just thought i'd say something, trouble is poor road

behaviour upsets my own balance and i find after

a couple or three instances that my riding deteriorates

as i maybe go for broke just to get away from these

characters.

do you find this? any comments/advice appreciated...

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Yeh " if you have an incident, [ argument or gestulate ] with a driver, it effects you for a while, don't dwell on it tho,

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never forgot the family of 4 entering the motorway into the lane i was in whilst he was texting on the phone. had to kick the car to alert him.

that's why you see HGV's collect cars on their front bumper on motorways, your supposed to match traffic speed and be prepared to give way there.

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you know, thinking about this, i'm going to try something

it goes against the grain but in future i will make a point

of flashing them out even if i think they are going to pull

out anyway and generally give way to them rather than

put up with the anger and resentment i suffer any longer

it is a slightly weird and non highway code approach

but perhaps it is the way to go rather than fume away.

like thinking, 'ok you're more important than me and you

obiously have a deadline to meet or need to get home

quicker than me' what do you think? might work out?

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I find I get more annoyed by other road users when I'm in the car. When I'm on the bike I'm so much calmer and forgiving of folks that do things I don't agree with. Not really sure why... Guess it's a mixture of me knowing I'm more vulnerable on the road and knowing I have the power to get past them and filter through traffic if needed? I don't know, I just find it therapeutic so generally avoid the car now.

I clock up quite a few miles on the motorway (so dull). I'm a pretty boring rider - but if someone does something to annoy me I brush it off. Just let them carry on with their day. The best part for me is when someone notices me - lorry or car, if someone sees me in their mirror and doesn't pull out in front of me, or flashes me into their lane, or say thanks because I've let them out etc I always give them a huge thanks back when I can. Makes me so insanely happy that they saw me or acknowledged my act of kindness.

I always try to think in my head that no one is perfect, we all make mistakes. Granted there are some pillocks out there doing silly things like texting or obviously flouting the law but for me I just let them go and carry on with my day.

Might sound lame to some bikers, and over time I've seen responses on here from folks about smashing mirrors off etc - but I know that if I was to do that I'd end up coming off my bike or something ridiculous! So for me I know that wouldn't work.

I have had some stupid things happen, like when I used to commute into Central London daily - a posh car around Chelsea not liking the fact I'd legally filtered to the front at traffic lights. So when they turned green, trying their best to get back in front of me and push me off the road. Pointless getting stressed, angry and reacting. At the end of the day I know I'll end up even further ahead at the next lights. Lol.

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fair point, but in my situation he came up from behind faster than me and only when I clocked him texting did I realise the situation I was in.

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Watching Police interceptors last night they nicked a rider on a Hornet for public order offence ie giving a van driver the middle finger on a high St for closing the rider down when he was filtering through traffic, Strange the officer didn't see the van driver close the rider down and be abusive to him, rider got fined £80.

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I'm not referring to your particular post Drewps. Each situation offers different reactions and unless we witness it, we can't really respond to what you did was right or not.

A while ago there was a similar thread on here and the amount of people who were immediately on the defensive and saying how their wing mirrors should get kicked off, bla bla bla. Personally I don't believe this should be our default reaction to every situation out there, but likewise I'm sure some would say that about the way I react.

For me personally, the angry reaction isn't my default when I'm riding. It is when I'm in the car, for some reason...?

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gosh when i get to use the wife's car i just switch into 'well we will get to our destination one day' mode and sort of give up before i start, the opposite to you bippo

i guess with the bike i'm out to have some fun or i'm on a mission or something and just hate being thwarted and that enjoyment being taken away, crazy thinking?

this morning taking my bike up to get repaired I saw a car threatening to pull out so this time i slowed and flashed 'ok pull out then' but he/she didn't, you can't win!

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No, no, no. I mean other people's actions annoy me more in a car as opposed to on a bike. So someone pulls out on me in a car vs. doing the same on the bike and it annoys me in a different way.

I feel so lucky to have my bike license and a bike I'd never in a million years dreamed I would have owned. So for me personally I'm sure subconsciously that drives my behaviour? I don't know....

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I think I'm lucky in that I don't get rage. In the car, I'd get angry and shout abuse at the person, but I'd never do something against them.

On the bike, the most I'll typically do is a "What the fuck are you doing?!", shake my head and let them go do their thing. I'll grumble a bit, but not dwell on it - there are more important things to concern myself with on the road.

And Bippo: yeah, I love when other drivers actually make room for me while flitering and the like. And actually do have a "what a nice driver" thought, and if possible give a thumbs up/thanks wave.

The housemate's boyfriend is intending to get a bike, and I admit I'm slightly worried by it - he gets major road rage - he went nuts when an innattentive driver almost smashed in to him, and he wanted to chase her. It made me worry that anger would get the better of him on a bike

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sorry, this turned ito a bit of an essay

a little while ago i had a particularly frightening experience returning across london onto the four lane m40 motorway - i know that cars can overtake both sides in the states and elsewhere but here with lanes each faster than the next, as you all know, you are supposed to pass on the side which has the faster lane.

a big mpv, joining the road he pushed out fast right in front from the wrong/illegal side, - something you just don't do normally but worse he was wreckless, really much too close and at considerable speed. I came across him further up the road, curious to see who had nearly terminated me, i pulled near and signalled to the effect that his behaviour was dangerous and he seemed to apologise but at the same time laugh it off.

i know this sounds like another typical road joust but it was a narrow margin, so tight that i'm looking for other routes that don't involve fast motorway sections where these lane switching drivers lurk. It puts you off riding, on motorways i reckon it is probably safer to go as fast as you are allowed to keep clear of the lane changing that goes on when people leave at the last minute or join in an abrupt way.

strangely enough the m25 seems slightly better, my general impression of the m25, of which i do about 180 degrees regularly on a motorbike is... expect no signals, random lane switching, last minute decisions to exit the motorway, joining traffic to abruptly push out (and to possibly nearly collide as per above although difficult to counter this) or drive very slow. if i cut through london it isn't much better, worse is the old kent road where things can get competitive

i told a friend about the first incident on the m40 who said if i thought that was bad i ought to try driving round the paris ring road - possibly standards are changing, it is all a bit more universal third world, duck and dive, anthing goes and 'blow you matey' so maybe i should just get used to it.

i suppose the fact is that the roads are crowded. people are in a hurry or under pressure and really it can become a cut throat free for all where mad behaviour rules because others back off. contrast this to trips to the south west across country and the only real worry there are those that drift out of side roads in a daze rather than deliberately push out but i can live with that

incidentally bippo, re: I mean other people's actions annoy me more in a car as opposed to on a bike that is what i thought you meant, i'm getting confused here, nothing unusual for me :spin2:

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just remember , until you know different , everybody else on the road is deaf , blind and stupid . Even if an accident is someone else's fault the motorcyclist is usually the one to come off worst so assume nothing and take nothing for granted . Motorcycling thrusts personal responsibility on you like nothing else . Who says bikers are irresponsible ? Not from where I'm sitting !

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